New Delhi, Sept. 12 -- Natural farming is steadily gaining traction in the mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh. At present, approximately 1.65 lakh farmers across the state are practicing natural farming on a total area of 1,936 hectares. Among the vegetable crops, capsicum (commonly known as sweet pepper due to the absence of capsaicin) is gaining prominence. Capsicum has emerged as a valuable vegetable crop for Himachal as well as other Indian states.

The area under capsicum cultivation in Himachal Pradesh and Solan district has been increasing at a significant annual growth rate of six per cent and 7.90 per cent, respectively. Solan district ranks first in capsicum production within the state, producing 34,850 tonnes across 1,217 hectares. ...